African inspiration is one the early trends at Berlin Fashion Week and it surprisingly showed up on the runway of Austrian retro-queen Lena Hoschek. Her signature wiggle dresses and prom frocks in ruffles and bows were toned down — but not totally tamed — through the use of African-patterned textiles, mostly in cotton.
Elsewhere, the designer’s formfitting bodices featured traditional beading, and a safari jacket was cropped and given a kicky peplum. Toward the end of the lengthy show, Hoschek lost the African theme a bit and returned to her rockabilly roots, but she made a convincing argument for the unexpected combo of Kente and dirndl.